In digital cameras, blur caused by handshake is often reduced by employing image stabilization wherein it is attempted to form a digital image such that each pixel of an image corresponds to a given narrow beam ahead of the camera even if the camera were slightly shaken. In optical image stabilization, an image sensor is provided by a stabilized image by suitably moving either the image sensor or an optical unit of the camera. In electronic image stabilization, each pixel of an image is formed by dynamically varying the mapping of image sensor's pixels with the pixels of the image. The electronic image stabilization needs no moving parts or space for moving mechanisms and for moving the image sensor or the optical unit, but the image quality typically falls behind that produced by optical image stabilization.
Modern digital cameras often implement optical image stabilization by shifting a lens or image sensor shift in x-y-directions or parallel to the image sensor's plane. This solution is widely used in the camcorders and cameras. However, the shifting of a lens can easily distort the image especially at the edges and create perspective error. These problems practically restrict the extent of optical image stabilization to counter handshake by an equivalent of 3 to 4 exposure value steps.